Financial planners

An annuity should never be purchased using money from a reverse loan, but in the past there were times when a reverse loan borrower would unwisely do just that and sometimes these vulnerable seniors were (for lack of a less sensitive term) “robbed”.

But what has happened since then to protect seniors from this kind of scam?

In 1987 Congress passed the FHA Insurance and Uniform Lending practices and the FHA insurance bill that would insure Reverse mortgages.

The first reverse mortgage to be insured by FHA was in 1989 and they continue to oversee this program very closely as an added protection to seniors and since that time additional oversight has come from Housing & Economic Recovery Act, HUD, Ginnie Mae, the National Reverse Lenders Association and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Prior to this time, reverse loans were created and offered by other entities such as insurance companies in exchange for a portion of the equity of the borrower’s home when they passed away and at very high interest rates.

And quite often an annuity was tied to this transaction by obligating the borrower to use the funds from the reverse loan to purchase this insurance product.

Is this an acceptable suggestion for a senior to utilize in their “later” years?

In my previous post I mentioned that since the 1990’s, “Gray” divorce ( As senior divorce is often referred to) has increased. As a matter of fact it has tripled and more seniors are splitting up than in any previous time.

More often than not, the “wife” will want to continue to live in the home but is unable to qualify for a traditional loan due to lack of income and cash reserves.

So what happens if one of them wants to keep the home and continue to live in it?

More than likely they won’t have enough income to qualify for a traditional loan and even if they are going to receive spousal support, a lender will not use it for qualifying purposes because there will be no history of it’s receipt to the spouse who has been awarded support.

And what would be her option?

Depending on her age, the value of the subject property and if there are any mortgages on it, she may be able to qualify for a reverse mortgage, pay off the spouse and continue to live in her home.

Her only responsibilities would be to continue to pay property taxes, home insurance and any HOA fees and keep the home in good repair.

Reverse loans are a financial tool. A tool to leverage the longevity of a retirement portfolio, purchase a home, provide additional income for on going expenses and other aging concerns.

And it’s also an excellent tool that can help the pain of divorce be just a little bit less and allow one of the divorcing couples to remain living in their home and not be displaced.

My description is quite simplistic in this post and the borrower does need to qualify on their residual income, but overall using a Reverse mortgage as part an option to retain the property in a divorce is a very good suggestion and should be considered in the settlement process.

Divorce is always an emotional and difficult experience regardless of the reason or the age of the two individuals who are experiencing this wrenching event in their lives.

Overall the national average of divorcing couples has declined over the years but what is odd, is that it has tripled for those couples over the age of 65 since the 1990’s.

The reasons for senior or “gray’ divorce vary but some of the more common ones is that after raising their children for many years, they began to see themselves as simply parents and no longer friends or lovers.

Then when the adult children leave the home and start their own lives, an older couple may discover that they no longer have any shared interests as they have grown apart over this period of time.

The financial implications of a “gray’ divorce can be quite complicated in that any assets and or retirement funds could end up being liquidated with disastrous consequences for the couple and their future financial stability and security.

I am not a financial advisor and certainly not a Divorce attorney and not qualified to provide any guidance in this matter and it’s best for couples to always seek professional advice when it comes to something as serious as a divorce and splitting up their assets.

However if there is equity in the home, it may be adequate enough to utilize a Reverse mortgage as a tool to either give half of it to one of the divorcing party’s and or buy them out in exchange for the other party receiving any investments they may have accrued together.

But a property settlement would have to be created by their mutual Divorce attorneys to make a final determination as to how all assets are to be divided.

Well, many Americans are very concerned about this probability because they simply don’t have a retirement plan or never bothered to set one up for themselves and now they are facing a scary future where they may not have enough money to sustain their lives.

The 2016 study that was done by the Harris Pole for Northwestern Mutual took a very serious look at the pending domestic crisis America is facing and not surprisingly, those who are approaching retirement ( If they can retire) and those that have already retired, are worried about running out of money.

In a previous post, I shared the first part of an article that discusses this study and due to it’s length I will share part of it in this post, with the rest of it to follow.

“Life expediencies continue to climb and that’s a good thing, however, Americans are increasingly less confident that their savings will last through retirement. Roughly two-thirds of survey respondents believe there is a chance they will outlive their savings, with 34% of this bunch saying the likelihood of this happening is 51% or better.

“The prospect of an extended retirement in an environment of diminishing safety nets makes it even more essential that your financial plan is flexible enough to stretch as long as needed,” said Rebekah Barsch, vice president of planning for Northwester Mutual, in a written statement.

The 2016 study results not only highlight the vast unpreparedness of American adults, but also underscores the need to look beyond traditional funding streams like Social Security to bolster retirement savings.”

Of course, as a Reverse Loan Consultant I know how valuable the FHA loan program is for preserving wealth and providing emotional security, but that is another topic.

People need to simply become educated about their benefits and why they should consider using them as part of a retirement plan.

Various studies of Americans saving habits for retirement have been under review for quite some time and the consensus is that most Americans are underfunded in their retirement plans and most people are very concerned about outliving their savings.

Moving forward in the coming years, more seniors will seriously consider using a Reverse loan to stop the bleeding from their savings and leverage what they do happen to have, to last longer than the typical projection that a Financial Advisor may provide to their clients.

A study that was completed this year looked in depth at what Americans are doing do save for the future, found that most are unprepared to retire and other dire concerns the will effect their ability to live comfortably.

Here is the first part of an article discussing this very serious, domestic situation that will have huge impacts on our seniors in the future.

“As increasing longevity continues to stretch personal savings thin, a recent study suggests Americans will need to look beyond traditional funding sources if they want their retirement to last for the long haul.

Americans are living longer than ever before, yet many are still not taking the necessary steps to financially plan for their future, according to the 2016 Northwestern Mutual Planning & Progress Study. Out of more than 2,000 people aged 18 or older, only 21% say they have increased their savings in efforts to prepare for retirement, whereas 44% report having taken no steps at all.

The 2016 study, which Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Northwestern Mutual, explores the state of financial planning in the U.S. today, providing insights into the money behaviors and priorities of American adults.”

Due to the length of this article I will follow up with additional posts, sharing it in it’s entirety.

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Dear Lorraine, You began the process for me, the process of breathing again. We were both working our display booths at the Ventura County buildings; mine with the County Fire Department and you represented your advisory company. As you descibed the highlights of a Reverse mortgage to me, it dawned on me that this could be the answer to my problem, ie., how could I pay for my wife's medical condition. After that lucky meeting, I checked out your company & found out it was doing business with FHA & apparently doing so without trouble. I checked out 3 other similar agencies, all with similar track records. So- I stayed with my original choice and didn't regret it for a single moment. So I thank you once again and strongly recommend your company to any other seekers of a compassionate and willing helper. Sincerely, Raymond A. O'Grady Newbury Park, CA
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